The Peacock Mantis Shrimp inhabits the waters off the island of Bali, Indonesia, and can reach a maximum length of 18 centimeters, with its appearance consisting of a variety of bright red, blue, and green colors. As its English name "Peacock Mantis Shrimp" implies, it is a carnivorous arthropod that resembles a peacock in color. Normally, it perches in the rocky crevices of the reefs, and if any prey passes by, it will attack them with a sneak attack, just like a predator waiting for a rabbit. Of course, its domain is strong and its personality is quite ferocious, both male and female, which can be a thorn in the side of fish lovers.
Why is the Bird's Tail Mantis Shrimp considered a wanted criminal by fish enthusiasts? The reason is that it is so vicious and territorial. If you put a mantis shrimp into a large fish tank, it won't take long for the other critters in the tank to be eaten up by the mantis shrimp, so the mantis shrimp is only suitable for monoculture. In addition, because the mantis shrimp usually inhabits in the rock crevices of the reef, some fish enthusiasts do not want to spend a lot of money to decorate their own aquariums, go to look for some natural "live rock" to save money, and the result is accidentally these "stowaways" together to bring back. So when fish enthusiasts want to go outside to find some "live rock" to decorate the fish tank, you can take a closer look, don't bring these uninvited guests back.
The reason why the "bird-tailed mantis shrimp" to call it, in addition to its appearance like a peacock, the main thing is that it hunts like a praying mantis. The front chelicerae of the mantis shrimp have evolved over tens of millions of years into a pair of powerful "spring-loaded fists". The mantis shrimp is a smart carnivore, like a boxer who uses a quick jab to attack an opponent, except that the mantis shrimp's jab is much more powerful and faster (and, of course, uses up a lot of energy each time it uses it).
The Sparrowtail Mantis Shrimp is extremely aggressive and often appears fearless. Fish are its main enemy. When caught in the open, it always puts up a fight, and finch-tailed mantis shrimp struggling in the mouths of its hunters have a hard time being swallowed, and many are spat out again as they are.
The finch-tailed mantis shrimp has a very well-developed second pair of jaw-feet, which are the sharpest tools for feeding and defending itself from its enemies. The most anterior section of its catching limb is in the shape of a single spine, with a very sharp end like an awl, and a convex thickened root. When it is folded up, the thickened part can break the hard shells of crustaceans, shellfish, snails and other animals like a hammer; and when it is stretched out, it can easily pierce the soft tissues of animals. When attacking prey, it can be in one-fiftieth of a second to catch the front end of the limb ejected, the maximum speed of more than 50 miles per hour (about 80 kilometers) per hour, acceleration more than 0.22 inches (5.588 millimeters) caliber pistol bullets, can produce up to 60 kilograms of impact, instantaneous friction by the high temperature and even make the surrounding water sparks of electricity. There have been scientists who have injured their fingers while wearing gloves and have bled profusely. When he brought it back to the lab and put it in a measuring cylinder, the cylinder was also smashed to smithereens, so the ferocity is evident.
The mantis shrimp's "weapons" are lightweight and impact-resistant, and can be struck about 50,000 times before they are damaged. The mantis shrimp compensates for the wear and tear of its weapons by periodically molting its skin. After molting, the mantis shrimp is fragile, but still very aggressive, and when disturbed, it will rush out of its burrow to attack its opponent, even if it poses little threat to the "intruder". When its shell hardens, the mantis shrimp is still the unrivaled "boxer" of the marine world.
The mantis shrimp preys on a wide range of species, from slow-moving shellfish and snails, to shrimp and crabs walking past it, to fish just trying to fill their bellies, and if the mantis shrimp gets a good look at it, it's sure to throw a few punches, and even if the prey is the same size as it is, or even bigger, it'll still be brave enough to rush in and bust it up, dragging it back to its nesting place on the reef. for a full meal, after which it continues to wait in ambush for its next target.
Although the bird-tailed mantis shrimp is ferocious, because of its peacock-like appearance, some people still keep it as a pet, but of course it must be kept singly, and never, never, never catch it with your hand, always fish it up with a net, or you'll be impressed - by its The Hammer, which travels at speeds of more than 80 kilometers per hour, is no joke.